TT 320 
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""' ' ANITARY VALUE OF 
WALL PAINTS 



BY 



HENRY A. QARDNER. Assistant Director 

THB INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH 
WASHINQTON, D. C. 




WASHINGTON 
I9II 



Copyright, 1911 
The Institute of Industrial Research 



THE SANITARY VALUE OF 
WALL PAINTS 



HENRY A. GARDNER. Assistant Director 

THE INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 




WASHINGTON 

191 1 



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THE SANITARY VALUE OF WALL PAINTS' 



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Decoration and Sanitation: The proper 
decoration of the interior of dwelHngs andi 
public buildings has become of even greater! 
importance than the protection and decora- 
tion of exteriors. There is, moreover, an 
increasing demand for harmonious effects 
and the production of more sanitary con- 
ditions, than have prevailed in the past. 
Up until a few years ago, a great variety 
of wall papers of more or less pleasing ap- 
pearance were almost exclusively used for 
the decoration of walls in the interior of 
buildings, and their application was com- 
monly considered the most effective means 
of wall decoration. There seems to be no 
question, however, that the use of wall 
paper is steadily decreasing, and that the 
art of interior decoration is undergoing a 
transition to the almost universal use of 
paint. 

Modern {progress demands the mainte- 
nance of sanitary conditions for the benefit 
of the public welfare, and there is no doubt 
that from the standpoint of sanitation and 
hygiene, properly painted wall surfaces are 
far superior to papered walls. There is an 
abundance of evidence which shows that 
dust germs may easily be harbored, and 
thus disease transmitted from wall paper. 
In the tenement houses, which are common 
to the larger cities, and to a lesser extent in 



the dwellings found in smaller communi- 
ties, where tenants are more or less tran- 
sient, the continued maintenance of sani- 
tary conditions presents a difticult ])r()blem. 
Infectious and epidemic illnesses generally 
leave behind bacilli of different types, wdiich 
may find a culture medium in the fibrous 
and porous surfaces presented by wall 
paper, backed up as they invariably must 
be by starch, casein or other organic pastes. 
Occasionally the restrictions of local boards 
of health provide in such events for proper 
fumigation, but too often no precautions 
are taken to destroy the disease germs 
which are caught in the dust which collects 
on wall paper. As a rule, both tenant and 
landlord are oblivious to all conditions 
which cannot be readily seen or detected. 
Burning sulphur, one of the most effective 
means of fumigation, will generally cause 
bleaching and consequent fading of the 
delicate colors used in printing the designs 
upon wall paper. Washing of the paper 
with antiseptic solutions will destroy its 
adhesiveness to the plaster and often cause 
bulging and general destruction. 

Hospital Practice: In hospitals, where it 
is necessary to maintain sanitary conditions, 
the walls are invariably painted, and re- 
quirements should demand the use of paints 
which can be washed frequently, so that 
there will be no possibility of uncleanliness. 
Inquiry made of a prominent surgeon* con- 
nected with one of the large metropolitan 
hospitals substantiated the writer's findings 

♦Dr. F. F. Gwyer. Cornell Uni. Med. Col. N. V. City. 



regarding the greater sanitary value of wall 
paints, and brought forth the information 
that in hospitals under construction pro- 
vision had been made for the finishing of 
walls so that a hard, non-absorbent and 
washable surface might be obtained. The 
same authority stated that the common 
practice, in apartments and tenements, of 
covering the old wall paper over with a 
layer of new, each time a tenant moved 
in, should be condemned, and that from a 
hygienic standpoint the use of sanitary wall 
paints should be advocated in all dwellings 
as well as public buildings. 

If such conditions are maintained in hos- 
pitals, where special attention is paid to 
sanitation, it would appear that similar pre- 
cautions should be equally as necessary in 
public buildings and in dwellings — wher- 
ever, in fact, people congregate to live. 

Sanitary Wall Paints: There have recently 
appeared in trade a number of wall paints 
composed of non-poisonous pigments ground 
in paint vehicles having valuable water- 
proofing and binding properties, and of a 
nature to produce the flat or semi-flat 
finish that has become so popular. Such 
paints produce a sanitary, waterproof sur- 
face, which permits of frequent washing. 
By their use it is possible to secure a more 
permanent and a wider range of tints than 
can be obtained with wall paper, as they are 
produced in a myriad of shades, tints and 
solid colors, from which any desired com- 
bination may be selected. On the border 
or on the body of walls decorated with such 




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paints, attractive stencil designs, which J j 
bring out in reHef the color combinations,! 
may be applied. " 

For the decoration of chambers and liv- 
ing rooms, delicate French grays, light 
buffs, cream tints and ivory whites may be 
used, while in the library and other rooms 
richer and more solid colors, such as greens, 
reds and blues, may be harmoniously com- 
bined. 

Defects of Wall Paper: It recently oc- 
curred to the writer to investigate the con- 
ditions which obtain in many apartment 
houses in the larger cities. Inspection of 
a number of such places, in which wall 
paper had been exclusively used on the 
walls, showed generally bad conditions ; 
bulging of the surfaces, caused by damp- 
ness in the walls, which had loosened up 
the binder, as well as peeling and drop- 
ping of the paper from the ceilings, were 
frequently observed. In many cases a 
shabby appearance was shown, accompanied 
by an odor which suggested decomposition 
of the paste binder used on the paper. The 
writer was impressed with the fact that 
such conditions could easily be avoided by 
the very simple expedient of using properly 
manufactured wall paints, which are so 
easily made dustproof and waterproof. 

Samples of wall paper, which had been 
applied to plastered walls for a year or 
more, were obtained, and examination uti- 
der the microscope showed a most uncleanly 
surface. Cultures were made of these sam- 
ples, and bacilli of different types were de- 



veloped in the culture medium in a short 
time. 

Experimental Evidence: That the above 
conditions could not have existed, had 
proper wall paints been used, seemed doubt- 
less, and suggested a carefully conducted 
experiment to prove the relative sanitary 
values of wall paper and wall paints. A 
large sheet of fibre board, such as is occa- 
sionally used to replace plastered walls, 
was painted on one side with a high- 
grade wall paint, three-coat work. A simi- 
lar sheet was papered on one side with a 
clean, new wall paper. These test panels 
were placed where unsanitary conditions, 
such as dampness, foul odors, and a scarcity 
of air were present. After a short period 
of exposure, the panels were taken to the 
bacteriological laboratory and a small sec- 
tion of the painted surface, about two 
inches square, as well as a small section of 
the papered surface of similar size, were 
removed and used for making cultures. In 
each case the surface of the section under 
test was washed with lOO c. c. of distilled, 
sterilized water. The washings, which 
dripped from the surface, were collected in 
a graduated flask. One c. c. of the wash- 
ings was used in each case, admixed with 
bouillon and again with agar agar. The 
enormous development of bacteria in the 
bouillon, treated with the washings from 
the wall-papered surface, was sufficient 
evidence to convince one of the greater 
sanitary value of the wall paint, the wash- 
ings from which gave a culture practically 



free from bacteria. The colonies of bac- 
teria shown in the petri-dish test made of 
the washings from wall paper further sup- 
ports these findings. It will be noticed that 
the tests made from the washings of the 
wall paint show practical absence of bac- 
teria, and was clear, as was the bouillon- 
solution test of the paint. The washings 
from the wall paper showed active develop- 
ment of bacteria, both in the bouillon and 
agar tests. 

From the Conservation Standpoint: It 
would be of interest to sum up in fig- 
ures the acreage and cordage of wood that 
annually is transformed into pulp for the 
manufacture of wall paper. Unfortunately, 
there are no available statistics on this sub- 
ject. It is clear, however, that from the 
standpoint of conservation the use of wall 
paints should take precedence over the use 
of wall paper. 



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